The Adzhimushkay quarries are one of the most important monuments of the military glory of Kerch, the hero city. These underground structures have repeatedly served as a reliable fortress in the fight against enemies.

A particularly significant chapter in their history was the heroic defense of the underground garrisons of the Central and Small Adzhimushkay quarries in May and October 1942. In this struggle, the soldiers and commanders of the Red Army demonstrated incredible resilience, heroism, and devotion to their homeland, showcasing the highest moral qualities and loyalty to their military oath.

In May 1942, Hitler's forces began an offensive on the Akmonai isthmus. Exhausted by constant battles and bombings, under the pressure of enemy tanks, the troops of the Crimean Front retreated to the Kerch Strait, where on May 14, the crossing of Soviet troops to the Taman Peninsula began. Some units fortified themselves at the Adzhimushkay quarries and at the Voikov factory to hold back the enemy and ensure the evacuation of the main forces. Until May 16, fighting continued on the surface, but when the enemy surrounded the detachment, several thousand soldiers and commanders retreated underground to continue the fight.

In the Central Adzhimushkay quarries, a garrison of over 10,000 men was formed under the command of Colonel P. M. Yagunov, and after his death, under Colonel G. M. Burmin. The commissioner was senior battalion commissioner I. P. Parakhin, and the chief of staff was senior lieutenant P. E. Sidorov; local residents were also part of the garrison.

For 170 days and nights, the underground labyrinths of Adzhimushkay remained a fighting fortress. Despite the acute shortage of food, water, and ammunition, the soldiers of the underground garrison, loyal to their oath, carried out daring night operations, inflicting significant losses on the enemy.

The remnants of various units retreated to the Small Adzhimushkay quarries, uniting into a combat-ready force. The garrison of the Small catacombs numbered up to three thousand fighters, and until August 1942, it was led by Lieutenant Colonel S. A. Ermakov, followed by Senior Lieutenant M. G. Povazhny. Political work was overseen by battalion commissioner M. N. Karpekin. In fierce battles with the enemy, under rubble, from gas, hunger, wounds, and diseases, the fighters of the underground fortress perished but remained true to their duty and homeland.

Many years passed after the end of the war before active searches and research began on this little-known page of the Great Patriotic War. In 1965, a decision was made to immortalize the feat of the fallen. In May 1967, the museum welcomed its first visitors, and in May 1982, on the 40th anniversary of the Adzhimushkay defense, a memorial was opened designed by sculptors B. E. Klimushko, E. E. Gorban, and architect S. P. Mirgorodsky.

The memorial complex "To the Heroes of Adzhimushkay" includes the museum of the history of the defense of the quarries, an underground exhibition, and displays in the pylons. The permanently operating underground exhibition provides detailed information about the feats and relics of the Adzhimushkay defense.

After the tour of the underground museum, visitors can independently view the exhibitions in the left pylon. The first exhibition "We are authorized by the fallen" introduces the work of search expeditions of the "Eastern Crimean IKMZ" and some documents that helped learn more about the struggle of the underground garrisons. The exhibition "Requiem for the Crimean Front" tells about the tragic events of February and May 1942, about the heavy defeat of the Crimean Front. The unique panel "To the Heroes of Adzhimushkay," created using encaustic technique, will leave no one indifferent.

In 2015, the staff of the museum-reserve created a new memorial hall dedicated to the heroes of Adzhimushkay, which became the result of more than 40 years of research work by the "Eastern Crimean IKMZ."